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Monday, February 18, 2013

Village folks plead for a stop to acquisition of their remaining NCR land


Villagers of Kampung Semadang in Borneo Highlands about 40km from Kuching who lost most of their native customary rights (NCR) land for the development of the Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS) appealed to the government to stop acquiring their remaining NCR land.
The latest photograph taken on Feb 15, 2013 showing the houses still
under construction at BRS.
They were worried that they will lose more of their land following the request of the four villages affected by the construction of the RM310 million Bengoh Dam to be granted at least 10 acres of agriculture land to each family resettled at the scheme.
The four villages are Kampung Taba Sait, Kampung Rejoi, Kampong Pain Bojong and Kampung Semban along the Borneo Highlands.
The development of BRS has affected the livelihood of villagers in Kampung Semadang and nearby Kampung Giam whose NCR land were acquired by the government to accommodate the resettlement scheme.
Kampung Semadang village chief Samson Mangang who is very worried of the situation, said should the government agreed to the request of the 204 families that were to be resettled at BRS, it would create deeper problems to people in the two villages (Kampung Semadang and Kampung Giam).
“Our village is expanding and more families are going to build their houses but where are they going to build them if the government continue to acquire our land. Furthermore, we also need land to do our farming.
“We have sacrificed a lot for others and we strongly oppose to any move to acquire more of our remaining land. It must be put to a stop,” Samson added.
Meanwhile land owners whose land was acquired for the purpose are also complaining that they were paid low compensations.
Samson said many villagers of Kampung Semadang had given away big area of their NCR land, thus resulted in some were now left with no land to carry out farming.
“We have sacrificed our land for the development of Bengoh Dam and BRS but until now our request for a piece of land near to BRS for our village extension programme has not been approved by the government,” said Samson.
According to Samson, he together with Penghulu Rimong Sutur and the then secretary Kampung Semadang Village  Development and Security Committee Robert Kenneth had submitted the application in writing to the state government through Mambong MP Datuk Dr James Dawos Mamit several years ago.
Samson said in the application they also requested the government to provide basic infrastructure like water supply, electricity and a school at the new village.
The fear raised by Samson is also shared by villagers of the nerby Kampung Giam and Kampung Skio.
Meanwhile many envied the houses and the infrastructure  provided by the government at BRS for the 204 families affected by the Bengoh Dam.
However, for Itido Peu, chairman of the Bengoh Dam Resettlement Liason Committee, their struggle for the last six years has never been easy.
“Our dreams and requests have not been easy. Until now we are still not sure whether the houses will be provided free to us or we have to buy them.
“At this point of time we only wait and see what the government are going to do for us,” said Peu.
“We want all our requests to be fulfilled including our request for 10 acres of agriculture land near to BRS so as not to burden the affected villagers once they more to the resettlement scheme,” he added.
During his visit to BRS on Saturday, the Chief Minister of Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the 204 families will only have to pay RM10,000 for the new houses which cost RM20,000 each.
Nevertheless, Taib’s announcement has created doubt as it is learnt that each unit of the house cost RM80,000 but why her mentioned RM20,000 for each unit.
The Chief Minister also said the government will pay the remaining amount and compensate them for the affected land and houses.
He also assured that the government would compensate their land located above the dam, including their agriculture land in one to two years’ time.
The villagers from Kampung Semban, involving 59 families, Kampung Rejoi (40 families), Kampung Taba Sait (58 families) and Kampung Pain Bojong (47 families) are to be resettled at the BRS, a 130 ha-site in Penrissen adjacent to Kampung Semadang along the Puncak Borneo Road near here, about 20km from the Bengoh Dam.
Peu said in their memorandum to the state government in 2007 villagers from the four villages demanded for free houses at BRS and 10 acres of land for each family for agriculture purposes.
“But as of now we are only assured of three acres and that is far not enough because our families are expanding in years to come,” he said.
Itido said they worries now is the compensations of their land, houses and other properties at their present village which has yet to be fully paid to them.
Itido also said they are not to be blamed for the suffering faced by the people of Kampung Semadang, Kampong Giam and Kampung Skio.
“It was not our choice to be resettled at BRS. In the first place the government should have look for a bigger area for the resettlement,” he said.
Commenting on Assistant Housing Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah statement that Kampung Taba Sait will be the first village, affected by the Bengoh Dam construction, to move to BRS expected in March, Peu said it wouldn’t be that fast as most of the houses and the infrastructure facilities has not been completed.
Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said there were 58 units of Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) to be handed over to the villagers.
Karim said developer had given assurance that all the houses could be completed in March and after that they can start to move to their new house in March.
Karim said this at a press conference after a briefing session on the relocation of those villagers affected by the Bengoh Dam resettlement site at Borneo Height Road he
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